Men's Basketball Back In Action Saturday Against California Baptist

Saturday, January 23

Riverside, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

California Baptist

Photo by: John Fajardo

Men's Basketball Back In Action Saturday Against California Baptist

1/22/2021 9:20:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes - California Baptist

The Beach has exited its pause and will play a rescheduled game against the Lancers.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Returning to action after a brief pause, Long Beach State has added a previously canceled game back onto the schedule, as the team will head to Riverside to play California Baptist on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Game:........................ Long Beach State at California Baptist
Date:.......................................... Saturday, January 23, 2021
Time:............................................................................ 6 p.m.
Location:...................................................... Riverside, Calif.
Arena:........................................ CBU Events Center (5,050)
TV:................................................................................... N/A
TV Talent:........................................................................ N/A
Radio:.................................... 22 West Radio, HD FM 88.1-3
Radio Talent:.............................................. Jason Schwartz
Webcast:............................................. WAC Digital Network
Live Stats:.............................................. beachlivestats.com

RIGHT AWAY
• The meeting between the teams is the first in 65 years; Long Beach State was the winner in the only prior contest between the teams back in 1956. Though shh... the teams have played in closed scrimmages since then, most recently in Riverside.

• Long Beach State has split both of its first two conference series after again taking the first game on the road at Cal State Fullerton. The Beach dropped the Titans 82-80 in the first game on Friday behind 20 points from Isaiah Washington, but fell in overtime on Saturday 75-72.

• The Beach has encouraging news on players returning to action. Long Beach State is excited to welcome back senior Colin Slater who has completed a quarantine and re-entered the team bubble for the spring semester. Michael Carter III is slated to return as well, and the team has received positive news regarding other long-term injuries to team members.

• Senior transfer Isaiah Washington has been a steadying presence for the Beach despite coming just this season after transferring in from Iona. Washington leads Long Beach State at 17.1 points per game and also is averaging 4.0 assists per game to lead the squad. Starting in all seven games, Washington has also played a team and conference high 36.7 minutes per game. His 836 points and 294 assists over his four DI seasons are the highest among all of Long Beach State's current roster.

LONG BEACH STATE
• Long Beach State has officially changed the nickname for all sports other than baseball to Beach with the NCAA. Please do not refer to LBSU basketball as the 49ers.

PLAYER NOTES
• Junior College transfer Joe Hampton has rapidly become a key figure for Long Beach State, finishing a long journey to come to the Beach. Initially signed by Penn State, Hampton caught the eye of the LBSU coaching staff but spent a season at Pasadena City College and East LA College before enrolling at Long Beach State. Hampton is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game, and is leading the squad in both steals and blocks on the year while starting every game.

• Junior Chance Hunter was one of six players chosen by the media for the Preseason All-Big West team. An Honorable Mention All-Big West selection a year ago, Hunter is averaging 11.8 points per game while leading the team on the glass with 7.0 rebounds per game. Scoring in double-figures in the first two games of the season, Hunter put up a double-double with 14 points and 13 boards in the win over Seattle, and returned to action on January 8 against Cal State Fullerton.

• Michael Carter III set a career-high in scoring with 25 points in the Bakersfield opener, and is second on the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game in his second season at the Beach. Carter III started the first five games of the season, but missed the last two games due to an injury sustained against CSU Bakersfield.

• A third returning starter alongside Hunter and Carter III, Romelle Mansel put up career highs in rebounding to start the season, starting with nine at LMU before bringing in 10 rebounds against Seattle. Averaging 4.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, Mansel has missed the start of conference play due to injury.

• Trever Irish has now scored in double-figures in two of the last three games, and is now averaging 7.4 points per game and has season highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds, both coming in league play. Those breakthroughs signal a ull recovery from significant injuries that slowed his return to form. Irish is averaging 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and is Long Beach State's first seven-footer since Mike Vantrimpont in the 2011-12 season. Irish has started every game in Big West play for the Beach.

• LBSU's injury woes have given an opportunity to freshman Jadon Jones, who has started the last four games for the Beach. A local product who attended St. Anthony High School, Jones scored 16 points in the opener against CSU Bakersfield and led the team with 17 points in the Fullerton finale. The true freshman is averaging 6.7 points per game while shooting 50.0% from three.

• RJ Rhoden is the first of a trio of redshirt freshmen guards who have debuted for LBSU this season. Rhoden has twice scored in double-figures in league play, and is now averaging 4.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Beach.

• Redshirt freshman Shaden Knight drew a critical foul and sank two free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining against CSU Bakersfield to send the game to overtime in LBSU's win over the Runners. Knight is fourth on the team in assists, and is shooting 42.9 percent from three this season.

• Another local product, redshirt freshman Justin Rene scored a career-high six points at San Francisco. The former Long Beach Poly player is averaging 1.7 points per game in his first season of action at Long Beach State.

• Sophomore Jeffrey Yan has been playing increased minutes for the Beach in his second season, including a career-high 22 minutes in the overtime win against CSU Bakersfield. The China native played in 12 games a year ago as a redshirt freshman, and has taken on an increased role this year.

• Senior Jordan Roberts is Long Beach State's active leader in most career categories. Playing in 97 games over his first three seasons, Roberts was second on the team in blocks a year ago and averaged 5.1 points per game. The senior has scored in double-figures 19 times, including a career-high 19 at UC Davis. Roberts has yet to play in 2020-21 due to injury.

• Two other forward transfers have yet to debut for the Beach. Teddy Ochieng was initially recruited by CSUN where he played in four games before a season-ending injury. Ochieng moved on to Panola CC where he averaged double-figures before returning to Division I, but is currently out with injury. The Beach also lost Alabama transfer Raymond Hawkins III, who suffered a season-ending knee injury prior to the start of the season. A highly-rated recruit, Hawkins III was the No. 3 recruit in Nevada following a season at Findlay Prep, where he averaged 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game before playing in six games with the Crimson Tide.

COVID-19 NEWS AND NOTES
• The Beach lost a pair of games against CSUN following a number of positive test on January 15. Subsequent testing revealed that those turned out to all be false positives, and clearance was granted for the program to return to action this week. The original California Baptist game was canceled during Long Beach State's initial pause, though the return to action for LBSU and a pause for Chicago State allowed the game to be rescheduled.

• Long Beach State's originally scheduled opener at UCLA was postponed out of an abundance of caution regarding COVID-19 protocol between the teams. While the game was rescheduled, a positive test within the Tier 1 individuals at the Beach forced a two-week pause for Long Beach State and a second and final cancellation of the contest.

• With the start of the season pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic along with the postponement of the UCLA game, the Dec. 4 start date for the 2020-21 season is the latest in the year in 28 years, and the first to start in December since 1992-93. Under Seth Greenberg, that team had a memorable season, upsetting then No. 1 Kansas on the road on the way to making the program's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, the first since 1976-77.